Australian Cobberdog

The Australian Cobberdog is a labradoodle line bred deliberately for assistance and therapy work, and registered separately from the general labradoodle population.

History

It descends from the Australian Labradoodle programme begun in the 1980s to produce low-shedding guide dogs, and its breeders separated it out as a distinct developing breed selected for temperament and coat consistency rather than for looks. "Cobber" is Australian slang for a friend, which is the whole brief.

Temperament

The breed is known for being gentle, intuitive and strongly people-oriented, bred specifically to be steady in the situations assistance work demands.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and mental work, and trains readily. The fleece or wool coat sheds little but mats without frequent brushing and regular clipping — low-shedding is not low-maintenance.

Health

Known tendencies come from the breeds behind it, including hip dysplasia and inherited eye conditions, which reputable breeders test for. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.